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LAUSD Board President Garcia Responds to Student Walkouts

By  Lindsay William-Ross
Published May 22, 2009 11:00 PM
Monica_Garcia.jpg
LAUSD Board President Monica Garcia, seen here discussing layoffs at the March 31st Board meeting
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Following yesterday's walkouts at Santee High School, where hundreds of students marched from their campus to the Downtown headquarters of the Los Angeles Unified District, Board President Monica Garcia has issued a statement. Her emphasis, however, is focused neither on the Board changing their minds about layoffs and budgetary decisions, nor on punishing the students, but rather on using their education as their best mode of protest. Says Garcia:
“I encourage our students to continue informing themselves and speaking out on cuts in California that affect their futures more than anyone else’s. “Our students are the conscience of this school district and should continue speaking out. But there is a better way to voice concern than boycotting state testing, risking graduation by walking out of class, or being arrested and getting a record for drug possession.

“Rather than hurt themselves or their futures, the biggest act of activism for students is to beat the odds and make it to graduation.”

Although yesterday's protests were peaceful, two students were detained for possession of drug paraphernalia. LAUSD Superintendent Ray Cortines addressed the crowd during yesterday's march, but had been a no-show at a Thursday meeting at Santee to discuss the issues at hand. You can follow the grassroots activism opposing LAUSD layoffs and budget cuts via Cuts Hurt Kids: Map and Twitter.